Folding mechanical pillow



FOLDING MECHANICAL PILLOW Filed May 24, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l' INVENTOR.

Eunice Meyers ATTU RN EYE eh 8,, 194$ E. MOYERS A A E..MOYERS FOLDING MECHANICAL PILLOW Feb. 1949;

Filed May 24, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Maya rs ATFCI RN EYS Patented Feb. 8, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application May 24, 1944, Serial No. 537,118

3 Claims. (01. 5--71) This invention appertains to mechanical aids for persons afflicted with certain'deformities of the body, natural or acquired, particularly of the back or spine, which necessitates relaxation or sleep in a prone position with the face downward, in order to gain comfort and ease, with proper breathing.

An object of the invention is to provide an angularly adjustable pillow of novel design and construction to give comforting support to the head above the bed level in a manner that prevents any obstruction to proper breathing and, at the same time, holds the head, in relation to the upper trunk, in a natural axial alignment therewith, so that the neck is in no'way subjected to crampin or strain.

Another object of the invention has to do with the provision of an angular support for the upper trunk which acts in conjunction with the pillow to further the ease and comfortable supportpf the upper portion of the body of a person who is compelled to seek refreshing sleep in face down prone position.

Still another object of the invention lies in the provision of a combined pillow and chest support, with the pillow adapted for angular adjustment relatively to the bed level and to the chest support for change of position of the head axially in relation to the body.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combined head rest and upper trunk support as herebefore characterized, wherein the parts are adapted to be collapsed and folded'one upon the other for compactness and convenience in transport, packing in travel, or storage when not in use.

Yet another object of the invention has to'do with the provision of a pillow of the kind mentioned, which is adjustable to size for the comfortable support of various head formations.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, the invention resides in the certain new and useful combination, construction, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, set forth in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device, in accordance with the invention, when extended for use;

Figure '2 is a side elevation thereof; 7

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken through the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section take through the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section taken through the line 55 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional detail taken through the line 66 of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional detail taken through the line 'l-'l of Figure 1; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary detail, inside elevation, of the hinge connection between certain of the pillow supporting frame.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote correspondin parts in the several views, the embodiment of the invention, as it is exemplified therein, is generally comprised of a flat base to be positioned at one end of a bed level; a like frame mounted for angular adjustment on and relatively to the base; a face rest or pillow mounted for angular adjustment within the frame; and an angular, substantially wedge-shaped, chest support or pillow in hinged connection with the frame.

The base I l is substantially rectangular in form and. is preferably made up of longitudinal and transverse lengths of metal tubing, either continuous or connected at their adjacent ends by L couplings (not shown),'the longitudinal side members being designated l2, l3, and the transverse end members M, l5, respectively.

Mounted on the base H, for vertical angular adjustment relatively thereto, is a frame l6 that is also substantially rectangular in form and it is likewise made up of longitudinal and transverse lengths of tubular metal stock, either continuous or connected at their adjacent ends by L couplings (not shown), the longitudinal side members being designated l1, l8, and the transverse end members l9, 20, respectively. The transverse end member 20, of the frame It, is hinged, as at 2|, to the top side of the underlyin transverse end member l5, of the base II.

The frame It is normally disposed in an upwardly and rearwardly inclined position, relatively to the base I I which is to be laid lengthwise on the bed level, and its gradient is to be varied, as required, in an upward direction from such normally inclined position of support, to which end, upstanding, slightly arcuate, rods 22 are provided at the rear corners of the base H and these are engaged in the bores of tubular members 23, dependingly supported by hinge connections 24 from the complemental corners of the frame i6. A winged set screw 25 is threaded sidewise in each of the tubular members 23 adjacent its lower end. When the frame 16 is normally disposed, the rods 22 are fully engaged in the bores of the tubular members 23, the lower ends of which then resting on the top side of the underlying portions of the base H. Thus, by loosening and tightening up the set screws 25, the frame It can be readily adjusted to any angle of inclination permitted by the respective lengths of the rods 22 and the tubular members 23.

Supported in the plane of the top side of the frame 16, and centered with respect to the longitudinal side members [7, i8, is a headrest or pillow 26, which is preferably of horse-shoe con figuration in plan and has its open end directed toward the lower end of the frame It. The headrest or pillow 2b is comprised in a length of cylindrical resilient material 21, such as sponge rub, ber, preferably enclosed within a fabric cover 28, and is secured, as. by clinching, in the channel. of a metal frame that is made up of a central section 29 and adjustable end sections 35. 'line end sections 30 are telescopically engaged on the ends of the centralsection 2!! and each of the same is provided with a spring detent 3! for selective engagement with a series of apertures 32, formed in the engaged ends of the central section for the retention of the end sections in desired p 51.- tions of adjustment.

The headrest or pillow 25 is supported from the rear transverse member 19, of the frame It, by a substantially v-s'haped bracket 33 which has the rear ends of its arms welded to the frame member !9, and which curves downwardly and forwardly from the points of connections of. its arms, with the frame member l3 and has its free end, 1. apex, disposed in the plane of the longi-. tudinal center of the frame l5, which end is pro: vided with a semi-spherical, upwardly opening, socket 3i. Engaged in the socket 34 is a. spherical body or ball 35 that is carried by the lower end of an arm 36 depending from the under side of the frame section 29 at its center. Loosely mounted on the arm 36 is a dished nut 37 having threaded a connection with the socket 34 to clamp the spherical, body or ball 35 in any position of adjustment of the. headrest or pillow 26.

To secure greater ease and comfort in the use of the headrcst or pillow '26, and to prevent cramping or twisting of the neck, it is desirable that a gradient support be provided for the upper or. chest portion of the body. To such end, a substantially wedgeeshaped'cushion 3b is em ployed and has its. thicker end portion abutted against the front ends of the base H and: 1 nd frame I6, so that its angle of slope is substantially in continuation with that of the frame l and the headrest or pillow 26. The cushion-38 is made up of a casing 39, of a fabric or other flex ible material, stuffed with a suitable filler 40, such as cotton or the like, and is preferably enclosed within a slip cover 41, which, together with the cover 28, of the cushion element 2? of the head ZQSt 26, can be removed for laundering, as re- 7 qu re A pair of strap members 412v ha e the r upper ends permanently secured in any suitable or well known manner to the cushion 33. The; strapmembers 42 are bent around the transverse mem ber 29 at. the. front end of the frame t6, and have 4 their lower ends detachably connected to the cushion 38 by separable fasteners of any well known construction, whereby to form a hinge connection so that the cushion may be pivoted on the frame member 29 to rest on the frame 16 when not in active use. By this arrangement, the weight of the body resting on the cushion tends to prevent displacement of the device, as a whole, from its initially emplaced position on the bed.

In use, and with the structure positioned lengthwise on the bed level or mattress a (Figure 1), the user will take a prone position on the bed, with the stomach resting on the bed level or mattress, the ches resting on the cushion 38, and the opposite sides of the face and the forehead on the cushion element 2'! of the headrest or pillow 25 By effecting a proper adjustment of the frame it relatively to the base H, and the headrest or pillow 26 relatively to the frame and the base. the head can be supported in comfortable positions for refreshing relaxation and sleep. without interference with proper breathing by reason of the face being positioned within the headrest or pillow opening.

Having thus fully described my invention, it is to be understood that any changes in design and minor details of construction and arrangement of parts, or in the materials employed, to which the disclosed device may be susceptible, may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or its scope; as claimed.

What I claim is: p

1, An adjustable supporting device for use in beds, comprising a base, a frame hinged at its forward end to the forward end of the base to be inclined'angularly with respect thereto, means for adjustably supporting the frame on the base, t n ed rest having an open center and an open end toward the hinge connection. between the frame and base, a forwardly and downwardly curved veshaped bracket. connected with the back cnd'of the frame. and extending forwardly toward the hinge connection between the frame and base, a baiirand-socket pivotal connection between the forward en of the bracket and the back of the head rest, the socket member of said connection being carried by the bracket, and an upstanding arm fixed to the ball member of said connection and to the. head rest, and means adapted to hold the ball against accidental, turning movement with relation o he so ket.

2., In a device of the character set forth, a main base, an auxiliary supporting frame, means securing the same on the main base. whereby the degree of inclination between saidbase. and frame may be adjustably altered, a ball and socket joint, means, supporting the joint. from the frame, the sachet member of the joint beingfixed rigidly to said means, a head rest fixed ri ly at s r r end to the ball member of said joint, they said joint adjusta e suppo t g th head est or s ieQQiVe adiustment laterally in a plurality of -dimotions to r ise r l wer s f nt n a d means on t e so lse mem er for ac i g he al member against accidental movement relative to sockot member so as to hold the. head rest in s lect d adjusted positions .3, In adevicesi qh as claimed, in claim 2, wherein the bead rest is of substantially horse-shoe configuration and comprises a central section and end sections, the central section being fixed to the belhmember of the ball and socket joint and the and secti n be ng slidabiv arbo -slat d wi h the: central section to enable the effective sizeof: the

head rest to be varied, and means for securing the end sections in selected adjusted positions on and relative to the central section.

EUNICE MOYERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 120,498 Couch Oct. 31, 1871 177,511 Hofmann May 16, 1876 229,286 Towers June 29, 1880 319,537 Winter June 9, 1885 622,501 Larrabee Apr. 4, 1899 Number Number Great Britain Mar. 18, 1926 

